33,100 job seekers placed in jobs, internships and training opportunities under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package

SINGAPORE: Approximately 33,100 job seekers have been placed in jobs, internships and training opportunities under SGUnited’s Jobs and Skills Package as of the end of August, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Wednesday (October 7). ).

This is an increase of 9,100 from 24,000 job seekers placed at the end of July, the ministry added.

A total of 29,580 people were placed in jobs, an increase of 5,580 since the end of July. Short-term job placements, or those with a duration of less than 12 months, fell from 58 percent to 55 percent.

“This was primarily due to the Government’s previous focus on placing job seekers and affected workers in short-term public sector jobs to handle the increase in operations related to COVID-19,” MOM said in its latest report from employment situation.

Long-term job placements have risen to 45 percent, up from 42 percent at the end of July.

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Longer-term job matching generally takes longer than short-term jobs, MOM said. For permanent positions, job seekers are more likely to “spend time in the search process” of around three to six months or more, the ministry added.

“Employers also tend to take longer to fill permanent jobs as they identify job seekers who best fit the jobs and their organizations,” the report says.

Similar to the situation at the end of July, the top five sectors in which the majority of job seekers and workers were located were information and communications, food services, professional services, healthcare, and finance and insurance.

Of these, the foodservice sector placed the largest number of job seekers in long-term jobs, while the health sector placed the most job seekers in short-term jobs, the Labor Ministry said.

Within the healthcare sector, some job seekers have also taken up long-term jobs, such as nurses and dental assistants.

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The information and communications industry placed the largest number of job applicants in training and internship opportunities, he added.

With increased efforts to promote and encourage job seekers to complete company-organized internships and adjuncts, as well as training opportunities, placements in these opportunities rose to 3,510 at the end of August, from 1,170 in late July, according to the report. .

This could be attributed to lower barriers to entry for job seekers taking advantage of opportunities to enter sectors where they previously lacked experience, and job seekers are “increasingly interested” in acquiring relevant skills to “better position themselves.” for the eventual economic recovery “, additional MOM.

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After the SGUnited Mid-Care Pathways Program was launched in August, companies offering internships and adjuncts also have “a broader pool of talent” to select from, the ministry added.

The Ministry of Manpower noted that although the National Employment Council’s original target of 100,000 jobs and skills opportunities has been exceeded, there are still “a significant number” of unfilled vacancies.

“Based on feedback from the field, there continue to be mismatches in expectations and skills,” MOM added.

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Urging employers to “look beyond” candidates with backgrounds that exactly match the job, MOM said: “Instead, employers are more likely to be successful if they focus on candidates’ transferable skills and take advantage of the government financial support to close skills gaps. ” ”

Job seekers can also be placed more quickly if they are “prepared to consider” less familiar roles or sectors, he added, advising job seekers to seek career guidance early.